Tube spinning



Jan. 21, 1958 E. J. GRISET, JR 2,820,279

\ TUBE SPINNING Filed May 19, 1954 INVENTOR BY wwm w United States Patent TUBE SPINNING Ernest J. Griset, In, Asheville, N. C., assignor to emerican Enka Corporation, Enka, N. C., a corporation of Delaware Application May 19, 1954, Serial No. 430,823 7 Claims. (Cl. 2822) This invention relates to tube spinning and more particularly to the maintenance of tension free conditions in the aftertreating tubes despite the withdrawal of the freshly aftertreated yarns in warp form.

In the tube spinning of rayon under commercial conditions, the tubes necessary to aftertreat a single yarn are arranged in a compact group and a large number of such groups are arranged in side by side relationship. The yarns discharged from all of these groups are arranged into a warp running at right angles to the tube groups and that warp is pulled under some tension to warp drying apparatus and collection.

One of the desirable features of tube spinning is that yarns, which are liquid propelled through the aftertreating tubes are in relaxed condition during aftertreatment with the result that the liquid treatment is uniform and very effective. When, however, the yarn issuing from the last tube of a group becomes a part of a warp, some of the tension from the warp propelling medium is evident within the aftertreating tubes with resulting reduction in the uniformity and eifectiveness of the aftertreatment. On the other hand, the warp handling of tube aftertreated yarns is desirable for reasons of drying ease, space economy and ease of spinning-in.

It is an object of the present invention to permit the retention of the advantages of warp handling of tube aftertreated yarns while avoiding the transmittal of undesired tensions into the tube groups where the yarns are liquid treated.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of several embodiments thereof in conjunction with the annexed drawings where- Figure 1 is a view partially in elevation and partially in section of a typical tube group for the aftertreatment of rayon, showing one form of the present invention in operative position;

Figure 2 is a larger scale fragmentary view partially in section and partially in elevation of the embodiment of the present invention which is incorporated in the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View in plan of a modification of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a view in section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now in detail to Figure 1, freshly spun yarn enters the tube group through tube 10. In transfer box 11, it is introduced into the first tube 12 of the aftertreating group. It is delivered by tube 12 to transfer box 13 in which it enters the next tube of the group. Succeeding portions of the yarn are thus liquid propelled back and forth between boxes 11 and 13 until the particular aftertreatment is completed. The last tube of the group, tube 14, originates in box 11, but, instead of terminating in box 13, it discharges into a large conduit 15 which leads to a trough 16 into which the yarn and the liquid from tube 14 are discharged. The structure and operation thus far described are disclosed in application Serial No.

361,892, filed June 16, 1953, and commonly owned herewith.

A commercial tube spinning machine has many tube groups of the type shown in Figure l, and these are arranged side by side in mutually parallel relationship. The trough 16, on the other hand, is common to all of the groups. When the yarns from all of the groups have been discharged into the trough 16, the operators arrange them in combs, such as at 17, to form a warp running downstream above the trough 16. This Warp is drawn off by rollers, such as those shown in broken lines. The formation of the warp as herein indicated is disclosed in application Serial No. 346,724, filed April 3, 1953, now Patent No. 2,789,339, and commonly owned herewith.

The tension on the warp running in the combs above the trough 16 has a tendency to be transmited through the yarn at least somewhat into the aftertreating system. In the Figure l arrangement, the transmittal of the tension into the tube system is prevented by making a reverse 8 curve in the end of the last tube 14 of the system. This curvature of the tube 14 has a braking eifect on the yarn so that it can run free of tension in the aftertreating tubes and yet be subject to enough tension beyond the curved area to be handled as an orderly warp.

It is not necessary that the tension brake be in the form of tube curvature since guiding pins as shown in Figures 3 and 4 as well as other drag devices may be employed. In Figures 3 and 4, the last tube 18 of a group discharges into a gutter or trough 19 which leads to a warp trough such as 16. The trough 19 is not an oversize tube as is tube 15 but it performs a similar function. Near the outlet of tube 18, gutter 19 is provided with three pins 20, 21 and 22 which define a tortuous yarn path between the last aftertreating tube of a group and the warp trough. Thus, the function of the pins 20, 21 and 22 is the same as the function of the curved end of the tube in that both impart enough drag to the yarn to prevent migration of tension into the tube system.

While both of the drag arrangements shown in the drawings are located adjacent to the end of the last tube of the aftertreating group, it is apparent that they may be located at any convenient spot between the end of the last aftertreating tube of a group and the warp comb which receives the yarn. It is specifically contemplated that a drag such as those shown be located adjacent the lower end of the tubes 15 or the trough 19.

What is claimed is:

1. In tube spinning apparatus, a group of aftertreating tubes, means to propel a yarn through said group of tubes in series under substantially tension free conditions, means for drawing off aftertreated yarn and means including the last tube of the group for establishing a partly tortuous yarn path from said tube group to said drawing 011 means.

2. In tube spinning apparatus, a group of yarn aftertreating tubes, means to propel a yarn through said group of tubes in series under substantially tension free conditions, means to draw off the aftertreated yarn and drag imparting means in the yarn path adjacent the end of the last tube of the aftertreating group.

3. In tube spinning apparatus, a plurality of groups of yarn aftertreating tubes, each group consisting of a plurality of tubes arranged in series for the passage of a yarn, means to propel a respective yarn through each respective group of tubes under substantially tension free conditions, means to guide and propel a warp composed of the freshly aftertreated yarns issuing from the plurality of groups of aftertreating tubes and drag imparting means in the yarn path between the last tube of each group and said warp guiding means.

4. In tube spinning apparatus, a plurality of groups of yarn aftertreating tubes, each group consisting of a pluralsee ers ity of tubes arranged in series for the passage of a yarn, means to propel a respective yarn through each respective group of tubes under substantially tension free conditions, means to guide and propel a warp composed of the freshly aftertreated yarns issuing from the plurality of groups of aftertreating tubes, a conduit between the last tube of each group and said warp guiding means and means located adjacent an end of said conduit to impart drag to yarn passing therethrough.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the drag imparting means is a series of pins defining a tortuous yarn path.

6. In tube spinning apparatus, a group of aftertreating tubes, means to propel a yarn through said group of tubes in series under substantially tension free conditions, means for drawing off aftertreated yarn and means including a curvature in the last tube of the group for establishing a partly tortuous yarn path from said tube group to said drawing off means.

7. In tube spinning apparatus, a plurality of groups of yarn aftertreating tubes, each group consisting of a plurality of tubes arranged in series for the passage of a yarn, means to propel a respective yarn through each respective group of tubes under substantially tension free conditions, means to guide and propel a Warp composed of the freshly aftertreated yarns issuing from the plurality of groups of aftertreating tubes, and means including the last tube of each group for establishing a partially tortuous yarn path from each of said groups of tubes to said warp guiding means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 126,483 Perkins May 7, 1872 521,816 Refiitt June 26, 1894 1,035,188 Hendricks Aug. 13, 1912 1,391,276 Roberts Sept. 20, 1921 2,270,438 Hill Jan. 20, 194-2 2,674,112 Jones Apr. 6, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 35,080 Switzerland Aug. 25, 1905 

